Instead on focusing on the certain groups living off frauds and other indecent incomes, The TE likes to disparage the majority of people like monks who in spite of licensing impediments are trying to make an honest living and paying off debts without government bailouts.

Historically in the US you have often found some of the most restrictive entry to profession at the state level. This has been especially true in the medical profession where you still have ridiculous & onerous license requirements handled by state medical boards. Fees that adds up to the tens of millions annually that needlessly come out of the pockets of medical providers.

It is pretty much the same thing with teaching in schools. Each state has its own "native daughter" laws to make certain that education graduates from the local colleges & universities have the "correct" skills.

Those who think that state and local governments are any better, on average, than the Federal government are in La-La Land. Hatred for Washington grew out of the necessity of Federal interference to force Southern states to treat Black people like fellow human beings. From this, pols learned that they could leave awkward issues until the Federal courts had to address them, and then huff and puff about activist judges.

Al Qaeda, Qaadafi, and now Assad have wrecked carnage and mass murder on their people. Explode a $5000 bomb; spend $100,000 on coffins for the victims.

Now the Iranians are rushing their bomb project. Pakistan has the bomb, and is descending into turmoil and anarchy. And Shiite-Sunni relationships are deteriorating to feudalism, tribalism and revenge killings. Pirates, kidnapping, and attacking civilian markets. And messages are sent by replying with bigger car bombs. Syria, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Lebanon again. And after Spring Revolutions, come the reigns of terror.

CtD
Ah, but nuclear wars tend to cremate their victims pretty thoroughly, and often leaves no one to do the mourning.
In short, there will be no demand for extra millions of coffins in the Middle East... :P

As someone who have many years' experience lying six feet under, let me express my concerns over liberalization of the coffin market. Cemeteries are often poorly guarded. One hardly ever sees a living soul around here at night. The removal of licensing requirement could potentially create a black market for stolen coffins. The mere thought of some junkies evicting my old bones from my resting place makes me want to roll over!

Playing devil's advocate (because I'm generally inclined to agree with you) consider the relative consumers of these respective services: medical instrument software is generally in conjunction with hardware manufacturers, and the result is scrutinized by vendors, FDA, and physicians. Caskets and funeral flower arrangements, on the other hand, are frequently sold on short notice to people who have just had an emotional trauma -- people who have just suffered a bereavement may be some of the least rational actors in the marketplace. While I'm not sure that licensing is the best way to protect them (and in this case does not seem to be functioning in society's best interest), it does make sense to provide extra protections in this space.

You left out an important point, that the monks sued in federal court and the judge ruled this restriction infringes on interstate commerce. As the article notes, the legislature didn't change the rule. So here it is: a silly regulation imposed by a state which is being overturned by the application of the federal law derided so often as an imposition on liberty. It is in this case an imposition: one of greater, not lesser freedom.

The Honorable Stanwood Duval of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana overturned the ban on selling the coffins fyi. But in Louisiana you still need a license for flower arranging and numerous other professions that could easily get by without licensing.

Nothing new here. The primary weakness of representational democracy is that it allows special interests to lobby for laws that serve only those interests. Sadly, this is also where we find true bipartisanship.